Iwatobi Medical and Scholarship Institute
by Miki Mae
Summary: Dr Aiichirou Nitori a leading member of the Social Psychology department at Iwatobi Medical and Scholarship Institute is moving west to the Samezuka Reparative Institute. Can he find the heart to leave behind his close friend Rin Matsouka?


**Just a fluffy drabble based on a moment in a book I read. Enjoy! BTW: Kinosuke is a character I made up. Sorry for making Rin a little 'special', but it was necessary for the plot.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club or The Half-made World (from which I garnered this idea)**

The farewell party was a dull and rather boring affair. The library was buzzing with various conversations, many spurred on by the empty champagne glasses clutched in trembling fingers. It was stuffy and smelled of old books, the wind having died down for this particular event.

Dr Tachibana hummed a reply to Dr Kinosuke's annoyed rambling, a slight show of indifference to the topic of travel. Not that Dr Kinosuke noticed his audience's lack of enthralled attention. Aiichirou gave his fellow scholars a wan smile, his stomach twisting in nerves. He was to leave in the week and his excitement kept varying from anxiety to anticipation. The dismal conversations that kept his colleagues enthralled had done nothing to soothe him.

"But it's a tedious route to travel, don't you think, Tachibana?" Dr Kinosuke questioned vehemently, his eyes twitching from Aiichirou to Dr Tachibana and back again. "Dangerous, dangerous," he sing-songed.

Dr Tachibana hummed again and briefly lifted his glass to his lips, his green eyes seeking Aiichirou's to share a bemused smile. After a moment of deliberate silence, before Makoto could offer the man a reply, Kinosuke was singing the dangers of taking a coach west.

Aiichirou groaned bellow his breath and cast his gaze to the side, spotting his old friend Momotarou trapped in the clutches of astronomy doctor Ryugazaki and looking dreadfully bored. His face lit up instantly at this welcoming escape, but before he could make his disappearance Dr Nanase of the Nature department appeared at Makoto's side. The man's dark hair seemed to shimmer blue in the poorly lit library and looked mightily lovely alongside his deep sapphire eyes.

As if the nature professor's presence was a light, Dr Tachibana instantly gave a startlingly bright grin and informed Kinosuke that with the right companions any trip could be considered pleasant.

Behind the small group Aiichirou noticed the brilliant crimson hair of Mr Matsouka, the man was gazing at their small group in mild interest and Dr Nitori felt his eyes narrow. Matsouka and Dr Nanase had developed a strange relationship in the past few years. Their mutual interest in the workings of water life had become a means of friendship and rivalry, although Aiichirou believed it was more in Nanase's favour than that of Mr Matsouka. Haruka Nanase was the head of the Nature department after all.

Muttering a soft apology, Aiichirou escaped from the conversation, his mind still mulling over the oddity of Haruka and Mr Matsouka as he made his way over to Momotarou. Over Ryugazaki's shoulder the auburn haired young man sent Aiichirou a pleading glance, all but screaming for help. Dr Nitori held back the softest of chuckles but before he could sweep in and rescue his dear friend his path was intercepted by the hulking frame of another auburn haired man.

Seijuurou was an identical copy of his younger brother, containing the same ginger hair and lively personality, only this Mikoshiba brother was a giant with a boisterous laugh. Not nearly as childish as the younger sibling. Aiichirou offered a smile, noticing the dazed eyes and lopsided grin his mentor was giving in his drunken disposition.

The taller man wrapped an arm around Aiichirou's shoulders and crushed him against his broad chest. Nitori merely patted the man's back in amused comfort, accepting the unusual embrace. Eventually Seijuurou released Aiichirou and placed on large hand on his shoulder. The man's hazel eyes had teared in their short embrace. "It was wonderful having you on my team, Aiichirou – you don't mind my calling you that," he insisted and carried on, "I must implore you once more, do stay, if it's your salary or your quarters-"

"None of that," Aiichirou muttered and slowly eased out from under the man's hold.

The man sighs heavily and shakes his head, "Then all I can do is offer you a safe journey,"

"Thank you, Doctor," Nitori says respectfully and before he can escape once again, another joins their conversation.

"Nitori!" The man cries in dismay, making Seijuurou jump and nearly drop his empty glass. "Those…those, _mammals_ don't have the decency to keep their sexual endeavours to themselves!"

Aiichirou scrunches his face at Dr Kinosuke and peeks over his shoulder to see Tachibana helping Nanase to fix his twisted bowtie. He releases a weary sigh and faces the men, "It's hardly a carnal act," he mutters, cheeks heating, although the men's relationship could hardly be called a secret.

Kinosuke lets out a loud huff and when he waves his hand in the air, champagne splashes out onto his shoes. "Hardly!" he protests and sticks his face closer to Nitori's. "They're practically undressing!"

Again Aiichirou puffs out his cheeks and sends a glance at Seijuurou for assistance, but the man is gazing at a rack of books in absent interest. "I don't see how."

"And you're going to leave me with these doe eyed idiots! For what? A mad house in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by warmongers!" Kinosuke grabbed Nitori's hands and shook him slightly. "You can't do it!"

Aiichirou scowled in response, jerking his hands from the others in annoyance. "I will do as I please," not bothering to excuse himself, Aiichirou slipped past the men and hurried toward Momotarou. As he reached him, they linked arms and Nitori dragged the boy away from Ryugazaki who had captured the starry eyed Dr Hazuki in a description of meteors.

Momotarou giggled and Aiichirou felt a fleeting pinch of displeasure at his friend for being so influenced by drink. "Thank you for saving me, Aiichirou,"

Nitori nodded his welcome and turned to stare out the tall unwashed windows. "You seemed distressed,"

"Of course!" he floundered and clung to Aiichirou's shoulders with a wail. "It was a terrible, monstrous conversation,"

"Was it?"

"Stars!" he cried, "Who cares about stars,"

"Who cares about drama?" Nitori replies in defence of the Astronomy department, and Momotarou sticks out a lip and sulks in silence.

The party comes to a quick end with a speech from Seijuurou who announces Dr Aiichirou Nitori's retirement from the Social Psychology department with a red face while blubbering. Although Aiichirou is in fact not retiring, but moving to an institute further West. Those in attendance give a short applause and Seijuurou hands Nitori a terribly large, gold pocket watch, which is inscribed with images of ducks. Nitori cradles the ugly prize with a thankful smile and bids his colleagues a grateful farewell.

They depart from the library immediately, disappearing through racks of books and leaving Nitori with a strained smile on his lips.

He spent the next few days assigning his rooms and sorting all the paperwork from his office. Rarely did he go a day without seeing someone who wished to greet him before his leave. More oft than not, he would spot the crimson haired Matsouka bustle down the corridors in a mild panic and sigh to himself. He would surely miss all his associates here at the Iwatobi Medical and Scholarship institute, yet he hadn't truly planned on returning once he was settled at the Samazuka Reparative Institute.

Mr Goro had insisted that they needed Nitori's help in the field of psychiatry. Their institute specialised in healing, but their methods on how to treat 'madness', as Goro had called it, were poor. It seemed interesting and a needed change, as Nitori was starting to feel repressed within these walls. The death of his close cousin, an esteemed Biologist at Iwatobi, a year ago stained the halls with sorrow.

As he was filing through the Hinata twins' file, his door burst open and the pages fluttered to the floor in a snowfall of documents. His head jerked up just in time to see a flash of red.

"You're leaving!" Mr Matsouka cried, his eyes as crimson as his hair in a frantic flurry. "They told me that you're leaving!"

Nitori looked at the man in quiet shock, his heart beating a tad too fast. "Yes, I told you some time ago, Rin,"

The man paused, his eyes flickering back and forth in worry, "You're leaving, they just told me,"

With a sorrowful sigh Nitori reached out a hand and gently touched the man's ruby locks, "_I_ told you, a week ago and then again at the beginning of this week." He stops, noticing the man's attentive gaze following the movement of his hand, he lowers the appendage. "You were at the retirement party, just Tuesday."

Matsouka looks at him, somewhat brokenly and turns away to grab at the fallen papers.

"It's okay, leave them," Aiichirou insists and moves around his desk. But Rin does not listen and continues to gather them in a haphazard pile. Once they are all collected, the crimson haired man drops them on Nitori's desk and lowers his eyes. Aiichirou sighs and steps toward him. "Rin,"

The man shakes his head, "You're leaving,"

Nitori pauses at the pain that lances through his chest at the soft tone. "On Saturday," he mutters and before more can be exchanged Rin rushes out the room as fast as he had entered it.

Aiichirou suffers a restless night, every time he drifts toward sleep; he sees visions of madness and tall white walls surrounding him. Occasionally he would be granted reprieve when Rin's grinning face and brilliant crimson hair would make the white walls seem bearable.

In the morning he carefully goes through the last of his paperwork, speaking to the lawyers in respect of his investments, cancelling his subscriptions to the scholarly publications. Reassigning his subjects and patients to the other doctors in Sociology – which proved the most important of tasks. Miss Kou Matso he assigned to Dr Seijuurou's care, hoping the man's gruff humour and caring nature would sooth her despair. The Tetsuya boy he allocated to Dr Kinosuke as he was bound to find the eccentric man entertaining.

He separated the Hinata twins - whom suffered from gloomy delusions – distributing one to Dr Seijuurou and another to Dr Tachibana, realising that he should have separated them long ago as they only fuelled each other's mania. Mrs Manami had no real issues other than being too rich and egocentric, Nitori assigned her to Dr Kinosuke in hopes that the man would humour her rages. He sent Ama and the near catatonic Misaki girl to Dr Tachibana. Then for delightful petite Kitara, who was petrified of the dark and candles, he instigated a change to the Shuutoku Institute by the mountains. As for Rin Matsouka…

Nitori paused in his work, staring blankly at the name. Tightness gripped at his heart. He had known Rin for nearly seven years, making the man Aiichirou's longest acquaintance in Iwatobi. He was swamped with agony at the thought of leaving the red head behind.

"Doctor, you're leaving,"

Nitori's head jerked up with a shock and his hand spun across the page, leaving a smudge of ink over the man's name. "Rin," he breathed in astonishment. He should be used to it, the man never knocked.

He stood there dumbly for a moment, simply staring at Aiichirou with those dazzling crimson orbs. After a moment he entered the room, to peek over the desk and examine the ink smudge on the page. His name seemed to stand out like a thorn amongst cotton. Nitori felt his heart contract in his chest.

Rin reached his hand for the page, surely to check who Nitori was assigning him to. Aiichirou moved his hand over the writing, his face flaming. Matsouka paused and looked up at him, his eyes were unusually puffy, it made the shorter man's breath catch. Had Rin been crying?

The man was tall and muscled, his hands covered in small scars from accidents he was always stumbling into. He was a terrifying sight to behold if one did not know him. With his crimson hair and eyes he could scare off most anyone. Yet in truth he was gentle and loyal, his smiles things of true happiness, a congenial creature. He was Nitori's first subject. The only one he'd allowed to reach his heart.

They'd met at the Geko Pastures, where Rin was sweeping the floors furiously to keep his mind from dwelling on life and Aiichirou had had his own white walled room to escape from a spell of depression after his mother's death. Rin had been kind to him and later when Aiichirou had become stronger Rin had become his willing test subject. The man was simple and rather eager to please, he'd undergo hours of questioning and bore even the most intrusive examinations without complaint. He even carried his shark-like teeth (curtesy of a failed experiment) with great pride. When he had left, Nitori had secured a place for Rin at Iwatobi, making Rin his first subject and first abnormal friendship.

Now as the silver haired doctor gazed at the man who had helped him from his own mania, he felt lonely and terrible to leave him behind. Rin was a simple creature, accident prone and wild at the best of times, his mind always scattered among a million things at once. Aiichirou knew he would not be able to mend the man, Rin was beyond healing.

In that moment the red head seemed wholly focused on Nitori. Crimson eyes like laser beams focused on a target, quite unusual considering his over active disposition.

"Doctor…"

"You'll be fine, Rin. You hardly need me anymore."

His hands shook as he reached for the page again.

Nitori's brow creased, his lips trembled, "Rin, no,"

He could hardly stop the man, he slipped the page from under Aiichirou's hands and carefully began to message the ink spilled over his name. It was a therapeutic gesture Nitori recalled Rin performing with a broom back at Geko Pastures. He had a feeling that if he left now Rin would continue to stand there and repair the smudge long after Nitori had gone. It was a sad thought.

_Besides_, Nitori mussed internally, _I might need a bodyguard and how am I supposed to carry my luggage? I'm not entirely strong enough…_ It was even possible that fresh air, new scenery and an adventure would do Rin well. Nitori certainly knew what _he_ needed.

"Rin?" Aiichirou waited for the man's slightest attention, "How do you feel about travelling?"

Silence followed Nitori's question and after a moment Rin's face slip into a grin. Without warning he reached over and plucked Aiichirou from behind the desk. The larger spun the smaller around in the air as if he were a child and only stopped once Nitori was laughing, the room a great blur, and begged him to do so.

**If you're reading _Broken_, I'll be updating soon. Thank you for reading, please review if you have time.**


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